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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147545">Make This House Our Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadbythursday/pseuds/deadbythursday'>deadbythursday</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Criminal Minds (US TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Platonic Derek and Penelope</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 11:34:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,809</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26147545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/deadbythursday/pseuds/deadbythursday</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer is away for the week and Derek has to find a way to keep himself occupied.<br/>Luckily, his spare room needs to be redone, and he has one Penelope Garcia to help him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek Morgan/Spencer Reid, Penelope Garcia &amp; Derek Morgan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>165</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Empty homes were a different breed of sad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or at least, that’s what Derek thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was something haunting about empty hallways, empty bedrooms, floors with no footsteps, and windows with no one to look out of them. It was the kind of sad that left you wondering why the rooms were empty in the first place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek built his home to be a forever home. He hadn’t had a family yet to build around, so he kept the layout and design fairly basic. He had three bedrooms, an open concept living/dining/kitchen situation, and a huge backyard. When he’d first moved in after the building process, hed been incredibly lonely. Such a big house needed to be full of love and family, but it just wasn’t there. This, combined with the fact that Derek was almost never there, really created more of a shell than a home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could imagine his future children living here; turning the spare room into a bedroom. Hell, he’d even be willing to clear out his office if needed. He was prepared to build furniture, he was prepared to hang fairy lights and watch childish cartoons. He was prepared to be a father, it just hadn’t happened yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As a result, his spare room continued on as a spare room. His office was still his office. Everything was exactly the same as the day he built this home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, everything except Spencer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because now, with Spencer in his life, his house was full of laughter. There were tired, early morning chuckles as Clooney nosed at his coffee. There were whooping, light-hearted laughs as he jumped into the pool. Derek’s favorite though was the soft, secret giggles as they faced each other in bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer made his house feel a little less ominous, a little less menacing. Before him, it was a shell that Derek occasionally slept in. Now, it was a sanctuary that Derek actually wanted to be in, and Spencer didn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>live </span>
  </em>
  <span>with him. He was over at Derek’s house more often than not, but still occasionally had to make the trek back to his own apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d started moping pretty much the instant Spencer left. He’d had some big academic thing for Caltech graduates come up in California, and he’d opted to take a few of his vacation days on the back end to visit his mom when he was finished. In total, he’d be gone about a week and Derek was </span>
  <em>
    <span>miserable</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Work was boring when he couldn’t look up and see Spencer, and Garcia could only help so much. He’d moped all day, and then he continued his moping at home. For the first few days that’s the routine he developed until he finally got fed up with himself and decided that he needed something to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>This is how he found himself with an idea. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>__</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright my sexy little piece of man-candy can you </span>
  <em>
    <span>please </span>
  </em>
  <span>tell me what was so important that I-” Penelope was always loud when she entered a room, but now, facing the absolute </span>
  <em>
    <span>mountain </span>
  </em>
  <span>of bullshit, she was speechless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek had cleaned out his spare room in record time, having woken up bright and early to start his project. It felt good, having something to do to distract himself. He still missed Spencer, but the ache had lessened now that he was able to put his hands to use. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer had taken to the room the instant that he’d stepped into the house, something to do with the natural light. There had been more than one occasion where Derek had woken to an empty bed, only to find his boyfriend snuggled into the armchair with a book. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Originally, the plan was to just tidy up the room a bit, maybe squeeze in a desk for his little genius. Truly, he hadn’t meant for it to go this far. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d emptied the whole room out into the living room, stacks of boxes, and miscellaneous furniture surrounding him like a castle. He’d called Penelope about an hour ago, more for the company than anything else while he completed his project. Even if she just sat on the sofa and watched TV while he worked, he’d be comforted just by the fact that she was close. In that time though, he’d managed to draft up plans for some built-in bookshelves, and a layout for new furniture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, she’d been able to let herself in, her spare key latched onto her puffball keychain. She was just kind of standing there, taking in the mess surrounding him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby girl,” He started, “ I have a plan. Promise.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If this is what happens when Spencer goes away for a week, you have some seriously interesting coping mechanisms.” She was chuckling though, poking fun at him while she set her keys in the bowl by the door. She knew his house just as well as he did, hell, she’d helped him decorate it after it was finished, so she made herself right at home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sauntered into the kitchen, and not for the first time Derek was thankful for the open concept so that she could keep talking to him while she made herself a cup of coffee. Naturally, as any best friend would, he kept Penelope’s favorite k-cups and teas on hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, have I finally worn you down into building a sex dungeon?” She said, digging through the cabinet to pull out the baby pink tin labeled </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘</span>
  </em>
  <span>Penelope’. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckled to himself. Trying to separate the stuff he wanted to keep from the stuff that he wanted to donate, he was between two large piles of cardboard boxes and furniture. How Spencer had been so comfortable in what was essentially a storage unit was beyond him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, baby girl,” he said, his chuckle continuing at the pout on her face. “I’m trying to finally get rid of some of this junk. Maybe finally get some use out of this room.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was leaning up against the counter in all of her sparkly, eccentric glory, with a knowing look on her face. Whatever she was thinking though, she didn’t say, opting instead for a shrug. Her coffee beeped, signaling its completion, and she turned to the fridge to pull out her creamer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what’s gonna happen once you clean out all of the junk then, my chocolate adonis?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The plans are on the counter if you wanna look.” He said gesturing to the counter where they were laid out. “I figured if you wanted to spend the day with me, we could go to the store to get the materials and I could treat you to lunch or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned over to take a peek, growing quiet as she took in his designs. It was so interesting how quickly they could fall back into a routine. When he had first begun building his home, Penelope helped him through a good chunk of the process. Not only had she helped him figure out which permits and such he’d needed, but she’d also had a second opinion on a lot of the layout and design elements. Now, as she looked over his room design, the feeling made him sort of nostalgic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Her words brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up at her for her verdict. “I think it’s cute. I’d be careful about the size of the furniture though, you don’t want the desk to block the sofa bed or anything. All in all, I think Spencer’s going to love it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t help but grin a little. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And how did you know that it’s for Spencer? Why can’t I just redo a room in my own home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“With all due respect Derek Morgan, you are, in fact, a simp. It doesn’t take an FBI profiler to see that you’re trying to surprise your boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh. It was the built-in bookshelves, wasn’t it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course it was the built-in bookshelf. I’m not a fool.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That pulled a full-bellied laugh from him, and when he saw her chuckling into her unicorn mug (also kept on hand for her), it just made him smile wider. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously though, now I </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to come with you to make sure this furniture fits. Goodness knows you’d forget about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn’t agree more. When he’d been furnishing his place the first time, the amount of shit that he’d had to return purely because it didn’t fit was </span>
  <em>
    <span>too much</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, guess we’re shopping then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right on, daddio”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>___________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Home Depot was a fun time, with Penelope insisting on riding around on the wheelie cart for most of it. He needed materials for the bookshelves, plus some floating shelves on the wall, and then he needed curtain rods and other miscellaneous pieces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Penelope was adamant that it couldn’t be a day out without lunch, so he took her to a cute little Vietnamese place that was tucked away downtown. He didn’t often get to spend days with her like this, what with their busy schedules, but when he did it made him so grateful that she was in his life. She somehow managed to make him see the good in the world when he was so used to seeing the bad. They’d made a few more trips after that, and by the time they made it back to his home, it was getting dark outside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek didn’t even bother unloading his supplies from the truck, instead he just leftall of the wood in the bed. He’d take it out tomorrow, and most likely end up doing the work on the patio. Whenever he had projects like this, he liked to open the doors to the back, play some music on the TV, and just work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now though, he couldn’t start because he was losing daylight. Penelope, who was tired from a long day of errands (“Derek, I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>delicate. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I carried that whole planter around Home Depot, do you know how heavy ceramic planters are?”). Thankfully though, she had a spare set of clothes here and was able to quell her sleepiness with pajama shorts and a t-shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And why, pray tell, are you so far away? You promised me that we could watch shitty TV mister, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> be whining until I get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby girl, I’m making you dinner so I expect a little less -</span>
  <em>
    <span>tude</span>
  </em>
  <span> and a little more </span>
  <em>
    <span>gratitude.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was chuckling to himself while he unloaded his ingredients onto the island. He liked to cook, and cooking for people just made it that much better. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She squealed, bouncing a little on the sofa and clapping her hands. It would’ve been cute had Clooney not heard the clapping and come running from the other room, launching onto her lap and licking at her face. Immediately, this became playtime for the two of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what exactly are you making, you beautiful, beautiful man?” She said through her giggles, looking over the back of the sofa at him. This is what allowed Clooney to sneak attack, licking at the side of her face with newfound vigor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m thinking personal pizza unless you object, babydoll?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No objections, but I have a condition!”</span>
</p><p><span>“And what’s that?”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Clooney gets a pepperoni.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Deal.” He whistled, and Clooney finally freed Penelope from his licks. He came quickly, rounding the island to sit at Derek’s feet and accept his pepperoni. She wasn’t too far behind, leaning up against the counter to eye his set up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had a bowl of sauce and a few other bowls of various toppings and cheeses. He was in the process of making the dough rounds. He had the store-bought dough, for now, he mostly just wanted to get these things in the oven and baked so that they could sit down with some terrible reality tv. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Derek Morgan, you’ve outdone yourself again. How do you do it? Constantly setting the bar higher with every passing day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I live to please.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with that, the pizza process began. They assembled their mini pies, Derek sprinkling his with mozzarella, basil, and tomatoes where Penelope opted for a confusing mish-mash of toppings (3 kinds of cheese, pepperoni, olives, peppers, pineapple, and spinach). Within a few minutes, they were in the oven and the whole house smelling like garlic and cheesy goodness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was no secret that Penelope hated the gore that came with their jobs, and she loved all things frilly and dramatic. That’s why on their nights-in, all work talk was banned and they exclusively watched reality TV shows and sitcoms. So far, they’d barreled through Arrested Development, Bridezilla’s, Chopped, The Great British Bake Off, and The Office. It was always a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, what will it be tonight gorgeous?” He said, scooping up the Firestick from the coffee table. He made quick work of flipping through their list, occasionally hovering on a show to give her a moment to process. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want something particularly dramatic, I’m in the mood to yell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So that narrows it down to Dance Moms or Hells Kitchen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, oh, oh, Hells Kitchen </span>
  <em>
    <span>please.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a decision made, they settled on the sofa for a night of yelling at the TV. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was something so inherently comfortable about a night in with his best friend. Derek and Penelope didn’t often find time to soak in each other’s company outside of work like this. It was always a treat when they were able to relax with each other, and just </span>
  <em>
    <span>be. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When the oven finally beeped for their pizza, he jumped off of the couch so that he could slide each of them onto their own plates. He presented it to Penelope in all of its cheesy glory. He was getting ready to plop back onto the sofa when his phone beeped in his pocket, and a quick look at the time told him why. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babygirl,” he said, snapping her attention from Gordon Ramsey back to him. “Would you mind if I snuck away to call Spence for a second? Just to say goodnight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Derek,” She said, her tone suddenly serious in nature. For a second, he was actually worried that she’d be upset with him for sneaking away. Then she continued, “That is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard. Tell him I said hi, and take as long as you need my sweet pizza chef.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A kiss to her head, and then he was off to the bedroom. One the door shut, he hit Spencer’s contact in his phone, and a ring later his baby boy’s voice graced his ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey baby,” he said, sitting on the bed. “How’s Caltech?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was met with a groan. He thought he could hear the creak of a bed, maybe a TV somewhere in the background. “Should’ve been fun, but I’m not really good at this kind of thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re good at everything Spence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not socializing. Like, even talking about my </span>
  <em>
    <span>work</span>
  </em>
  <span> makes me jittery.” Another deep sigh. “I don’t wanna talk about that though, what are you up to? I miss you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could practically hear the puppy eyes through the phone, and it made his heart soft. Being separated was new for them. </span>
</p><p><span>“I miss you too. This is weird right? Being away from each other?”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Yeah. It is. Next time I’m gonna have to take you with me.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“The true trophy boyfriend, I would love that.” He gave a throaty chuckle, and could practically see Spencer’s grin in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my goodness, you are not a trophy boyfriend, shut up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All I want in life is to be the trophy boyfriend of a doctor. I’m already the boyfriend, but it’s not trophy status until I’m eye candy at an event.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was smirking to himself now, and he could hear Spencer’s amusement through the phone. Derek was being a little honest though. Usually, when he’d see someone, they’d tout around that he was an FBI agent. It was nice to be the one bragging about his partner for once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“” We’d have to tell Hotch about us though. No way he’d let us both disappear for a week otherwise”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is true.” A beat of silence. “Are you against that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, not against it. I just know he wouldn’t approve a trip for two of the team and not the rest without good reason.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know if even a relationship is a good enough reason for Hotch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me neither. Knowing him he’d probably only approve it if we fought him on it. He’d say something about losing manpower.” A chuckle came from the other end of the line before a sigh followed. “Sometimes I wish they knew though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” Derek said, flopping back onto the bed with a grunt. “We can tell them whenever we want to though.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Truly, they hadn’t meant to keep it a secret for so long. In the beginning, they’d wanted time to explore their relationship for themselves. They’d gotten a few profiler-glances from the others, but no questions. Eventually, even the suspicion had died down as their slight change in dynamic just became who they were to the team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t think that it’ll make work weird?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our work is always weird, I don’t think our relationship could make it any weirder.Why? I thought you wanted to tell them? Derek said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do! It’s just,” Deep sigh, “ That’s a big step, right? I feel like nerves are a little justified.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They are, baby. We don’t have to tell anyone anything until we’re both ready.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the record though, I’m ready whenever you are.” He said, and he did his best to sound coy. “I want everyone to know that I’m dating a doctor”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I’m getting there. Maybe it’ll get some of the women in the building to back off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>possessive</span>
  </em>
  <span> doctor. I love it”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just love </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I want everyone to know it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>__________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the night came and went.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Penelope had managed to blow through half a season of Hell’s Kitchen before calling it a night. Following that was a mini argument over who would be sleeping where (“Derek I like the couch, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine.”), </span>
  </em>
  <span>but pretty soon after that everyone was snuggled where they were supposed to be and dozing off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had taken every ounce of Derek’s willpower not to call Spencer again. He’d wanted so desperately to dial his number and fall asleep on the phone. He couldn’t risk it though. Spencer already had so much trouble falling asleep, if Derek woke him up he’d be pissed at himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So had come a night of tossing and turning, and when he woke up he’d almost forgotten that his boyfriend wasn’t home. It was easy to pretend that the noises from the kitchen were Spencer and not Penelope, that he’d be able to walk out into the living room and see him. He could smell coffee brewing, and it was something that he so intrinsically associated with Spencer that it made his chest ache. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Along with the click-clack of dishes being moved around, he could hear music playing, and that’s what really sealed the not-Spencer-ness of the situation. Spencer preferred waking up softly, slowly, to guide his body from nothingness to somethingness carefully. Penelope was the exact opposite in that way. This was a woman who practically bounced awake, eager to start her day with a bang. She was playing music, singing along, and most likely cooking something all while talking to Clooney and all around being a ray of sunshine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made him smile. But Penelope-smiles were different from Spencer-smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulled himself out of bed, a feat considering that his body was exhausted from his sleepless night, and threw on a hoodie. Passing in front of his mirror he could see bags under his eyes, haggard he looked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Entering the living room showed him exactly what he expected to see. Penelope was bustling around the kitchen, making what appeared to be waffles, talking to Clooney, and dancing around. Very rarely were the Spice Girls played in his house, considering he was more of a classic rock kind of guy, but when they were played it meant that Penelope Garcia was responsible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you wanna be my lover,” she sang, catching his eye and immediately launching into a more dramatic rendition. She pointed at him with a batter-covered spoon, flinging waffle mix onto the counter. “You gotta get with my friends~”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He laughed and circled around the counter to hug her good morning. However, instead of hugging him back like she usually would, she kept on singing and dancing. It made it nearly impossible to wrap his arms around her, which made it all the funnier for both of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was their relationship in a nutshell. He was pulled into dancing with her, and within minutes the ache in his chest had lessened a bit. She had a way of knowing what he needed, and what he needed was to not wake up to a still house. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few more songs played, but eventually, they had to sit down to eat. Coffee and blueberry waffles, paired with the in-depth description of her dreams kept him smiling. His smile continued into the discussion about their day, and how they’d be filling it with as much stuff as possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew what he needed, and what he needed was a project. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first thing that would be happening was the built-in shelves. It should only take him an hour or two because it was mostly just cutting wood and screwing it in place. While he was doing that Penelope was going to paint some picture frames for him, along with a few other small DIY elements for the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they were finished it would be around noon, and then they could get on with the shopping. There were a few furniture stores in the area that Derek wanted to take a peek at, and Penelope practically insisted that Target and Homegoods were a necessity for decorating. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think this whole thing is gonna be </span>
  <em>
    <span>gorgeous. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Very academia, but still posh and cozy.” She was writing a list of things that she wanted to look for, a quick peek, and Derek could catch the words </span>
  <em>
    <span>rug, throw pillow, globe</span>
  </em>
  <span> before she flipped to a new page of the legal pad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have no idea what any of that means baby girl, but you sound sure so I’m sold.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>means</span>
  </em>
  <span> that you are the best boyfriend in the world, Spencer’s going to love it, and you’re lucky I’m here to help decorate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>____________________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Installing the built-in was so simple that for a second Derek was worried he forgot a step. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Usually, he’d mess up at least one measurement, or grab the wrong screw, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>something, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but this time everything went. Perfectly. He was able to get everything cut outside on his power saw, plus have the shelves stained and varnished in record time. He was going for a sort of industrial look, with dark wood and iron brackets, so a few screws later and he had some truly beautiful shelves lining the wall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He installed a few smaller shelves on the opposite wall, mostly for trinkets and things. Penelope was going to hang her frames on this wall too, sort of a mock gallery wall of sorts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>All in all, he was pleased so far. He brought in the armchair that Spencer loved so much, and fit in snugly in the corner by the window. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, they just needed to make the space a little homier, and then their project would be finished in due time. Spencer was set to come home tomorrow, so the timeline worked out perfectly. But timeline aside, Derek was just excited to have his baby boy back in his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are we ready to shop mister Morgan?” Penelope started him out of his musings, but he smiled all the same.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure are baby doll, let's go hop in the truck so you can blow all my money.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don't even front with me, we both know you make that good FBI money.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Penelope I don’t think we can fit the sofa </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> the desk. Not if we’re keeping the armchair.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Derek, I thought you wanted this room to be multifunctional.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> but I want it to check Spencer’s boxes first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So where are your guests supposed to sleep?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My living room sofa is a bed baby girl, you know that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, but it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>bed, Derek!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>__________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think one cushion is enough for the chair, don't you think?’</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First you take away my sofa, now you’re taking away my throw pillows?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Penny, I'm not taking them away, just saying that maybe seven is a little much?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m </span>
  </em>
  <span>a little much Derek, you signed up for this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>__________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Derek I swear to god if you pick up that planter I'm gonna become an unsub.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong with it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Derek, that is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But it’s kind of quirky and fun right?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“It’s a shoe.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>_________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally home, they had way too many bags to carry inside. They had bought everything from a rug to curtains and knick-knacks for the shelves, not to mention leftovers from their lunch out and Starbucks cups. His living room looked like a plastic bomb went off with all of the grocery bags, but he couldn’t let himself get wrapped up in it. They had a job to do. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Honestly, the work was quick. Penelope had gotten some photos printed for the frames, and while she handled that, Derek handled the curtain rods, rug, and desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d found a pretty minimalist one at Target, with a chair to match. He had to put it together, but grab-and-go furniture usually had pretty simple instructions so it wasn’t too much of a feat. A few screws later, and the room had all of the pieces that it needed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It already looked cozy, but one Penelope got in there that things really came together. Pink and sparkly was her default mood, but she was pretty good at decorating in general regardless of her personal aesthetic. She had Derek hand her frames where she wanted, each of varying sizes and textures but all the same color gold. She’d opted to fill them with pictures of the team, he and Spencer, and a few of Spencer’s mom. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was flitting about after that, setting the books on the shelves with new bookends, a globe, and plants scattered about. It was cozy, it was warm, and it was very Spencer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad you finally found a use for this room. It made me sad before.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too,” He confessed, letting out a breath while he continued to take in the sights around him. She was right, the room had been a depressing storage unit before, full of potential but no love. Now, thanks to Spencer, he was able to give this room the attention it deserved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His home overall was better thanks to Spencer. He liked being home now, it felt less like a shell when he had someone to share it with, and Spencer didn’t even live with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe he’d have to change that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A growling stomach pulled him out of his thoughts. It’d been hours since they’d last eaten, and given that they were working for most of that time, now seemed like a strong time to start dinner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What's to say we get you fed hm?” Penelope jokes, linking their arms and smiling up at him. </span>
</p><p><span>“You know, I like the sound of that. I’m feeling tacos. Thoughts?”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“You know I make a mean guacamole my beautiful man.”</span></p><p>
  <span>He chuckled and guided them out of the new room and toward the kitchen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know, this was just a selfish ploy to get you to make it for me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew it!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They opted for Dance Moms tonight instead, and they had an incredible time comparing members of their team to the moms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emily and JJ are 100% Christi and Kelly, change my mind,” Penelope said, her plate now empty on the coffee table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t argue with facts. The dynamic is too clean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a good laugh for the two of them, cackling at the ridiculousness of the show. Derek didn’t often play into Dance Moms, but when he did he usually had a good time. It was getting harder and harder to focus though because there was a thought nagging at the back of his mind. Part of him wanted to ask Penelope her thoughts on it, to let her help him work through his nonsensical brain. The other part of him though was riddled with anxiety. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Penny?” He said, caving eventually. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, she was still focused on the TV, throwing him a casual ‘yeah?’, but when he sighed and scratched at his neck, she immediately muted it to focus on him. He kept his eyes on the TV though, allowing it to distract him from his thoughts while he spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you think Spencer would move in with me if I asked?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was either thinking really hard or just didn't want to hurt his feelings. Spencer was such an unpredictable person when it came to intimacy, closeness and relationships. Sometimes, he couldn't get enough. Other times, he needed to wrap himself up in a blanket and be left alone for hours at a time. How would he react to sharing a space with another person, sharing a home?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right now it worked because Spencer could get away whenever he needed to, he had an apartment to retreat to if things became too much. What would he do if that safety net was gone?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what, nevermind, I-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think he would,” Penelope said, ignoring Derek’s stuttering. “I think that he likes being close to you, and he’s hardly at his place anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But he’s still there </span>
  <em>
    <span>sometimes</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Derek said, running a hand over his head. “I just worry that he’ll say no and things will get weird. Like, what if we’re on two different levels and we just haven't realized it yet?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think your anxiety is showing Derek.” She was turned to face him now, her head propped up in her hand that was braced on the back of the sofa. She looked so cozy like this, with the throw blanket on her lap and her PJ’s on. Her face was stern though, sure of what she was saying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it wrong to be anxious about this?”</span>
</p><p><span>“Not wrong, just don’t convince yourself not to ask if you feel like the time is right.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“I just don't want to take away his personal space, you know?”</span></p><p>
  <span>“Honestly, I think the beauty of it is that you built him a personal space today. Think about it; you just created a place where Spencer can be alone if he needs it. Asking him to move in with you isn’t taking away boundaries, it's just offering a different kind of boundary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s so young though Penny, he has his whole life ahead of him. At my age, all I want is to settle down with someone I love, but I don't want to force that on him if he wants to just live his life. This is a huge commitment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Derek, with all due respect, both of your lives can be taken at any minute with your jobs. You guys kind of have to move fast for fear of not moving at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sighed and finally looked at her full in the eye. She looked so gentle, so patient at this moment, and Derek was increasingly grateful that Penelope Garcia was in his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re right.” He conceded. “It’s better to ask and be rejected than to not ask at all.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I still don't think he’ll reject you, just to put that out there again. He looks at you like you hang the sun in the sky, and he already has his bouts of separation anxiety. Honestly, I think he needs to be close to you more than he needs those moments of space, and living with you gives him the best of both worlds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And it’s Spencer, so he’ll be able to run through all of that in a few seconds after I ask him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know it.”</span>
</p><p><span>“What would I do without you?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Probably melt into a puddle of goo, or at the very least get caught in a pyramid scheme.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“I’m an experienced FBI profiler, and you legitimately think I could get caught in a pyramid scheme? No faith in me at all sugar?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said what I said, and I’m not taking it back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>_________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The phone rang once before Spencer picked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek could hear Penelope in the living room, bustling about while she made up the sofa to sleep. Derek, meanwhile, was spread out on his own bed. He hadn’t looked at the clock before clicking Spencer’s name, and when he realized just how late it actually was he was full of guilt. If he woke up his sleeping boy, the same sleeping boy who had so much trouble sleeping already, he wouldn’t be able to forget about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Surprisingly though, Spencer sounded more than a little awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello?”</span>
</p><p><span>“Hey baby, did I wake you?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Not at all, I was watching a documentary on jellyfish. They’re </span><em><span>fascinating</span></em><span> Derek, you’ll have to watch this with me when I’m home.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“I’d love that baby.” He shifted onto his side, facing the window. He didn’t have the diffuser on because Spencer wasn’t home, so the moonlight created a faint blue glow through the curtains. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How was your day?” Spencer asked, and Derek could hear the volume on the TV dropping through the phone. Spencer was pretty good at multitasking, so the fact that he was turning the volume down meant that he actually wanted to give Derek his full attention. The thought warmed his heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was good actually. Penny stayed the night again, so we watched TV and ate tacos.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>And set up a huge surprise for you that I think you’re going to love</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He couldn't say that though, for fear of ruining the surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wish. I just have documentaries and room service, no tacos, and surely no Derek and Penelope.” He could hear the longing in Spencer’s voice, but the young doctor was pretty good at distracting himself from his feelings. “I’m so excited to be back tomorrow. Are you still picking me up at the airport?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I am baby, I don’t want to wait a minute longer than I have to to see you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a beat of silence, and then Spencer yawned into the phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry. I haven’t been sleeping well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be sorry, I relate. It’s weird not having you in bed with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tomorrow” He repeated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“C-could you maybe… Nevermind it’s silly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want me to stay on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe?’ He sounded so shy, so unsure of himself. Very rarely did Spencer ask for things, and when he did it was usually after a lot of internal deliberation. “I just think hearing your breathing might help me sleep through the night.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think that’s a great idea baby. Let's do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek was quick to turn on speakerphone and set the phone on the pillow next to him (</span>
  <em>
    <span>Spencer’s pillow </span>
  </em>
  <span>his brain supplied). He could hear little noises from the other end of the line, most likely light switches and such. When everything settled, there was a creak of a bedframe, another yawn, and then steady breathing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you, Derek.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you more baby. See you tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>____________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He woke up, again, to music. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sun was peeking through the curtains, catching his eyes when he blinked them open. He could smell coffee, he could hear Penelope, and he could feel a smile forming on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d be picking Spencer up from the airport in a few hours, and he couldn't be more excited. His flight was supposed to be landing around five, which was more than enough time for Derek to prep dinner for him, straighten up the house, and put the last phase of his surprise in motion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had to go get a house key printed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer had disconnected the call only a few minutes before Derek woke up (</span>
  <em>
    <span>probably why I woke up</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought). There was a text from him though, explaining that he had a few last-minute things to handle before going to the airport. Derek was also gifted with an early-morning selfie of the bed-head-ridden Spencer, giving him a bleary, well-rested smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He came out of his bedroom with a pep in his step, and when Penelope caught sight of him the first thing she said was:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Today’s the day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes but made his way to sit at the island with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, indeed it is sugar. I’m excited.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m excited </span>
  <em>
    <span>for</span>
  </em>
  <span> you! He’s home today and he’s going to love the room.” She was whipping a bowl of something, and when he caught sight of the crepe pan on the stove he also took in the Nutella and bananas on the counter. One thing about waking up to Penelope Garcia was waking up to breakfast. She slid him over his coffee mug too, happily prattling on about true love and how cute he and Spencer were. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a really wholesome morning. The happy conversation, combined with crepes, combined with the excitement of the evening really left him with a smile on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After eating, and singing Penelope’s praises about breakfast (“Jesus baby girl you need to quit the FBI and open a breakfast place I swear”, “You’d be visiting too much, I can’t put your glorious figure in jeopardy.”), they made a plan for the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t much, today was a relaxed day to run errands with his best friend. Penelope had her own list of things she needed to do today, and combined with Derek’s the list became: grocery shopping, key printing, and an oil change. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They opted to take Penelope's car this time, so Derek got to sit shotgun for their outing. It was fun, they blasted music, rolled the windows down, and were an all-around menace. They got their fair share of weird looks, but neither of them could be bothered. They were too busy having a good time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Penelope's oil change was fairly uneventful, except for that the mechanic was for sure flirting with her. Derek honestly would've thought it was funny how flustered she got, but he was too busy being offended. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just saying,” He continued, ‘He had no way of knowing that I wasn’t your boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your point?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sort of insulted that he did that in front of me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, did my beautiful behavioral analyst take an ego hit?” She was driving like a madwoman. Derek would've had to hold onto something had he not been used to Emily’s driving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes! Penny, if I was your boyfriend I’d be so mad right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you're not my boyfriend and you're still mad?” They were turning into the parking lot of the grocery store now, and he rolled his eyes at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As your mock-boyfriend in this situation, I think that dude was a sleeze bag.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Noted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grocery shopping was far less dramatic. All they really had to do was pick up groceries for Penny’s apartment, and then Derek needed something to make for Spencer. He picked up some steaks, some veggies, and some wine, and as he did so he caught Penelope’s Cheshire-cat grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” He said, abashed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, nothing. Just a candlelit, steak dinner?” She bit the tip of her tongue then, like a kid trying to hold in a giggle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one said anything about candles.” He said and went back to pushing the buggy through the store. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn't need to, I know how your brain works mister Morgan.” She said, grabbing a few things off of the shelves. “And your brain 100% is going to light candles.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t dignify her comment with a response, instead of continuing to shop. They looked a little strange walking through the store together, that was for sure. He was big, with intimidating boots and sunglasses. Comparing that to Penelope's strawberry patterned sundress, sparkly hairpieces, and gaudy glasses and they were bound to get a few looks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, this store had one of those key-printing machines inside. He could just insert his own house key into the slot, and he’d have a copy made in a few minutes for a small fee. Penelope had a great time pointing out all of the designs he could choose from and was adamant that her own key needed to be replaced with a cat one immediately (spoiler alert: he did indeed replace her copy of his key with the cat one.).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This silly woman was the same woman to convince him to get a little box for the key, cream with a little gold ribbon. It was tasteful, and he already had a plan set in motion about how he’d be giving it to Spencer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Penelope dropped him off at his place, he was a little sad to see her go. Rarely did they get time together like this, and it really had been a treat having her to hang out with. She made him smile a lot, and everyone really needs time with their best friend every once in a while. She got out of the car to give him a hug, and wished him luck, but insisted that coming inside would get her stuck (“Your sofa is too comfy Derek. I won’t be able to get up before Spencer gets home!”). She said her goodbyes and was off soon after. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside, he couldn’t really do much. He had a few hours before he had to leave for the airport, so he set his steaks to marinate, cleaned the house a bit, and set the table. After that, all he could really do was wait. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>____________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Airports were honestly a different dimension. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You could find people who have been there for minutes or people who have been there for days. There was overpriced food, ridiculous tchotchkes, and an all-around air of confusion and weirdness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was standing at Spencer’s gate, rocking back and forth on his heels in anticipation. He hadn’t seen Spencer in days, and the idea of finally getting to hold him again after time apart made his heart melt a bit. He loved this man, and he just wanted so desperately to see him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Spencer exited the terminal, Derek saw him first. He didn’t move, or call out, instead, he waited for Spencer to see him. His genius was scanning the crowd carefully, calculated, and when his eyes finally met Derek the smile on his face could give the sun a run for its money. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just looked so </span>
  <em>
    <span>cute.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He’d dressed in comfy clothes for the flight, more specifically one of Derek’s hoodies and a pair of joggers (joggers that should’ve been a sin honestly, those </span>
  <em>
    <span>legs), </span>
  </em>
  <span>and his curls bounced when he ran up to Derek. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hug between them felt like coming home after a long day, it felt like two halves coming together again. Derek would wait however long it took, he would do whatever he had to do, so long as he got to feel this man in his arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they pulled back from the hug, Derek was a little shocked to have a kiss immediately follow. Usually, Spencer wasn’t a fan of PDA, but it looked like all rules went out the door after they were separated for more than a day. Spencer Reid kissed him, and kissed him, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>kissed him. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He couldn’t even bother to care about the looks they were getting, instead opting to spin his boy around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I missed you so much,” Spencer said once they’d finally separated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I missed you more pretty baby,” He hummed in response, punctuating his sentence </span>
</p><p>
  <span>with another kiss. “Now let's go get your bags and get out of here yeah?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like the sound of that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>___________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking through the door, you’d think Clooney was more excited to see Spencer then Derek was. He was all barks and tail wagging, and Spencer was immediately on his knees to satisfy the pup with pets. It was precious, seeing them reunite. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek inched around them to set Spencer’s suitcase on the sofa and was immediately bustling around in the kitchen. He could feel his nerves taking him a little bit, his eyes occasionally flickering to the doorway of the study, or to the drawer where the key was. Thankfully Spencer was far too wrapped up to catch on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you making dinner?” He questioned, peeking over Derek’s shoulder to see what he was doing. His hands were on Derek’s lower back, his cheek pressed to shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer had been constantly touching him since he’d gotten off the plane, and Derek could hardly bring himself to complain. Their arms had been locked through the airport, their hands held in the car ride, and now Spencer was pressed up against his back while he cooked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes sir, Dr. Reid.” He chuckled, taking the steaks out of their marinade. He’d done most of the prep work earlier, so all he had to do was pop the veggies in the oven and cook the steaks. The table had already been set for dinner, the wine was chilled in the fridge. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, had to cook to celebrate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the sweetest man in the world, I’m excited.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you go sit at the table baby, it should only be a minute or two.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt a kiss pressed to his shoulder, a hum of agreement, and soon the warmth had been removed from his back. He missed it for a second but had to remind himself that hopefully, that warmth would be living with him soon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>___________________</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dinner was incredible, as usual from Derek Morgan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer had sung his praises practically the whole time, moaning and groaning about how good the food was (“honestly if I get to come back to this I need to go away more often”). They’d been able to catch up then, sipping their wine and trading stories about their respective weeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was easy to forget about his nerves for a second there, but not for long. Soon, the conversation was taking a natural dip that came after a meal. This would usually be the time when they’d move to the sofa or bedroom, and relish in each other’s company. He could see Spencer start to shift in his chair, fidgeting, and it’s like his body was questioning why they were still there if there wasn’t any more food to eat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s one more thing baby. I have dessert for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, the light in Spencer’s eyes at the word ‘dessert’. This was a man who could eat sweets for every meal if someone would let him, and the natural way that he perked up was precious. Derek </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> actually bought dessert, a fancy little fudge thing that was tucked away in the fridge, but that wasn’t what he’d be bringing Spencer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He got up, his back to his boy while he pulled down a plate from the cabinet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Close your eyes baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have to close my eyes?” He said but did as he was told. He could see how straight Spencer was sitting, how eager he was for whatever he’d be getting. “This better be some really fancy dessert sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek put the box on the plate and took a deep breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek could see Spencer sit up even straighter at the sound of the plate hitting the wooden table, a little grin on his face. </span>
</p><p><span>“Can I guess?” He said, eyes still closed while Derek took his seat again. “Is it those little cookies from the bakery downtown? Or ice cream?”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Open your eyes baby.”</span></p><p>
  <span>Amber eyes met his own, still smiling, before flickering down to his face. The confusion would’ve been precious, had Derek not been able to taste his own heart. He was so nervous about Spencer’s reaction, but he made himself take his boyfriend’s hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Amber eyes met his own for a second time, and Derek started talking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know that I love you, right?” An answering nod, the confusion growing. “Spence, I love you so much. This past week really made me realize how much I hated being away from you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>More confusion, then: “Open it, baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Open it he did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He did his best with one hand to pull off the top, and when he caught sight of the contents, his eyes went as wide as saucers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Derek?” He murmured, “is this…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I want you to move in with me baby, but only if you want to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His heart was beating so fast that he was sure Spencer must be able to hear it. He couldn’t bring himself to speak again, and instead just waited. Much like he and Penelope predicted, it’s like he could see Spencer mentally cataloging every aspect of the situation, his eyes locked on the key nestled in the box. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer Reid had made his life so much brighter over the past few months and had steadily filled him with happiness that he couldn’t explain. With the nature of their jobs, it was hard to see the beauty in the world sometimes, but Spencer made that so much easier for him. Not only could he sense the beauty, but he could feel it in Spencer’s touch, hear it in his laugh, taste it in his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those beautiful eyes that he loved so much were welled up with tears, glassy with emotion, and when Spencer nodded Derek felt every nerve ending in his body light up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” He clarified, his own smile threatening to take over his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Spencer choked out, “Yes, one thousand times yes I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>love </span>
  </em>
  <span>to live with you, Derek.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He rounded the table to scoop Spencer up and into his arms, excitement and relief and so many other feelings taking over him. He was spinning them around then, and a few wet laughs fell out of Spencer’s mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was so excited, that he almost forgot about the second portion of the surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Baby, baby,” He said, setting Spencer down, and cupping his face in his hands. He kissed him quickly, resting their foreheads together. “There’s a part 2 to this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course</span>
  </em>
  <span> there is because Derek Morgan is incapable of giving me one sweet thing at a time. Instead, you have to be perfect and thoughtful </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the time like a crazy person.” There was no malice in his tone, only emotion as he scrubbed his face with his sleeve. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek guided him to the study door, and Spencer followed blindly. He was still wiping at his face, his key clutched securely in his hand as if someone would take it from him. He looked precious like this. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derke poised him in front of the door and held him by the shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Open the door, baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you do Derek? I can only handle so many thoughtful gestures before I combust.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Open it, pretty baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the door swung open, the tears started again. It was like he could only handle seeing it for a second before he was turning and burrowing into Derek’s chest, faint whispers of ‘oh my god’ and ‘how’, over and over again into his shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek rubbed up and down his back for a moment before guiding him inside of the room, talking the whole way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I felt like you needed a space here, and since you like this room so much it only made sense. Besides, it was empty for so long it’s like the room needed you too. Kinda cute in that way”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re incredible and I can’t process this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Derek turned him around and took him by the shoulders then, giving him a tour of the space and peppering in little anecdotes about the process. He told Spencer about The Great Throw Pillow Debate, about why they picked this specific rug, about the lamps and the desk and the pictures. Spencer meanwhile was taking it all in, sniffling and clutching to Derek as he was shown his new space. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love it. It’s perfect. I love you. You’re perfect.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only the best for you baby. I’d give you the world if I could.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Spencer turned again, wrapping his arms snuggly around Derek’s neck and continuing his sniffles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You already have”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you guys so much for reading! This was just a cute little thing that I had floating around in my brain, and I'm really glad I got to share it with you all. Please don't be afraid to tell me what you think!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Honestly, I'm not too sure what this became but I hope you all enjoy it!</p><p>I really liked getting to write Penelope and Derek's friendship, it made me smile a lot. This will be two parts, and the second part will be posted either tomorrow or Saturday! To all of my Moreid fans, rest assured that Spencer comes back in part 2.</p><p>Be sure to follow me on Tumblr for teasers of my new pieces @deadbythursday, and a special thanks to @reid-and-writing for being the best beta!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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